System and method for additional security in a vehicle based transaction

ABSTRACT

Identification elements may be added to a vehicle and the identification elements may be required before a transaction through the vehicle may be approved. The identification elements may be a second layer of security to ensure that a payment request is valid and not fraudulent.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser.No. 16/640,314, filed on Feb. 19, 2020, which is a national phase of andclaims priority to International Application No. PCT/US17/50101, filedSep. 5, 2017, the disclosures of which are incorporated by referenceherein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

As computing devices have become more mobile, so have mobile payments.User can use a payment device such as a credit card or a payment whilein a vehicle such as a car. However, trying to verify that a paymentdevice is not being used fraudulently in a moving vehicle may be achallenge as the user may be obscured or the transaction may beundertaken in high speed.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary of the present disclosure inorder to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of thedisclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview. It is notintended to identify key or critical elements of the disclosure or todelineate its scope. The following summary merely presents some conceptsin a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed descriptionprovided below.

At a high level, the system 100 may address the technical problem ofmaking transactions more secure. In addition, the system may address thetechnical problem of adding payment capabilities to a vehicle that wasmade at a time when vehicle payments were not contemplated. By addingidentification elements to a vehicle, payments may be enabled and may bemore secure than previously possible. Identification elements 110 may beadded to a vehicle and the identification elements 110 may be requiredbefore a transaction through the vehicle 105 may be approved. Theidentification elements 110 may be a second layer of security to ensurethat a payment request is valid and not fraudulent. In some embodiments,the identification elements 110 may be passive and may be read byidentification readers and in other embodiments, the identificationelements 110 may be active and may communication identification signal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood by references to the detaileddescription when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale,emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of theinvention. In the figures, like reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the different views.

FIG. 1 a is a vehicle used in the system;

FIG. 1 b is a vehicle used in the system;

FIG. 2 a is tire with an identification element used in the system;

FIG. 2 b is wheel with an identification element used in the system;

FIG. 2 c is a wheel with an identification element;

FIG. 2 d is lightbulb with an identification element used in the system;

FIG. 3 a is an illustration of a vehicle with identification elementsbeing part of the light bulbs in the vehicle and communicating with aportable computing device;

FIG. 3 b is an illustration of a vehicle with identification elementsbeing part of the tires in the vehicle and communicating with a portablecomputing device;

FIG. 4 a is a flowchart of beginning use of the system;

FIG. 4 b is a flowchart of adding a new identification element to thesystem; and

FIG. 5 may be a sample computing system used by the system.

Persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that elements inthe figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity so not allconnections and options have been shown to avoid obscuring the inventiveaspects. For example, common but well-understood elements that areuseful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are not oftendepicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these variousembodiments of the present disclosure. It will be further appreciatedthat certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in aparticular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art willunderstand that such specificity with respect to sequence is notactually required. It will also be understood that the terms andexpressions used herein are to be defined with respect to theftcorresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except wherespecific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

Specification

The present invention now will be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, byway of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments by which theinvention may be practiced. These illustrations and exemplaryembodiments are presented with the understanding that the presentdisclosure is an exemplification of the principles of one or moreinventions and is not intended to limit any one of the inventions to theembodiments illustrated. The invention may be embodied in many differentforms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments setforth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that thisdisclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey thescope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Among other things,the present invention may be embodied as methods, systems, computerreadable media, apparatuses, or devices. Accordingly, the presentinvention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, anentirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software andhardware aspects. The following detailed description is, therefore, notto be taken in a limiting sense.

At a high level, the system 100 may address the technical problem ofmaking transactions more secure. In addition, the system may address thetechnical problem of adding payment capabilities to a vehicle that wasmade at a time when vehicle payments were not contemplated. By addingidentification elements to a vehicle, or to parts of a vehicle, paymentsmay be enabled and may be more secure than previously possible.Retailers may be able to sell additional physical vehicle equipment thathas a vehicle related function and has a trusted payment function.Related, consumers may be able to purchase additional physical vehicleequipment that has a vehicle related function and has a trusted paymentfunction.

FIG. 1 may illustrate a sample system 100 for assisting in atransaction. A vehicle 105 may be part a payment system. The vehicle 105could be a car, a boat, a bicycle, a bus, an airplane or any other modeof transportation. At a high level, identification elements 110 may beadded to a vehicle and the identification elements 110 may be requiredbefore a transaction through the vehicle 105 may be approved. Theidentification elements 110 may be a second layer of security to ensurethat a payment request is valid and not fraudulent. In some embodiments,the identification elements 110 may be passive and may be read byidentification readers and in other embodiments, the identificationelements 110 may be active and may communication identification signal.

The identification element 110 may take on a variety of forms. In someembodiments, the identification element 110 may be an element that canbe sensed. As an example, a visible bar element, OR element or serial ofcharacters may be read by an identification sensor 115 to provide theidentification element 110. In another embodiment, the identificationelement 110 may be an RF signal based device which may provide a signalwhen in range of a power source.

In other embodiments, the identification element 110 may be moresophisticated. The identification element 110 may include a processor,an input/output circuit, a memory and a power source as illustrated inFIG. 5 . The power source may be wired into the vehicle electricalsystem or may be a battery based system or may be a system whichrecharges itself based on the motion of the vehicle. In addition, remotesources of power may be used when the vehicle is in proximity such asinduction sources or other RF sources of power.

In some embodiments, there may be a plurality of identification elements110. Each of the identification elements 110 may register with anapplication 120, a secure element 125 in a computing device 130 or withthe central authority 140 as registered identification elements 110. Inone embodiment, all the registered identification elements 110 may needto be present and sensed by the identification sensor 115 for atransaction to be approved or verified. In another embodiment where theidentification element 110 is more sophisticated, a plurality ofidentification elements 110 may communicate with each other throughwireless means such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BLE, etc., and may form anetwork. If one identification element 110 from the network is missing,the transaction may not be approved.

The identification element 110 may be placed on the vehicle 105 in avariety of locations. In one embodiment, the identification element 110may be in or on a tire 205 (FIG. 2 a ) or a wheel 210 (FIG. 2 b ). Inthe embodiments where the identification element is powered, anelectrical supply would be required. However, many modern tires havepressure sensors that require power and batteries or a central powersource may be adapted to provide power to the identification element.For example, in FIG. 2 c , the identification element 110 may be placedinside a tire on a wheel and power 117 may be from a central source ormay be from a battery or from a regenerative source that uses therotation of the wheel to generate electricity which may be used to powerthe identification element 110.

In another embodiment, the identification element may be in a lightbulb, providing easy access to electricity as illustrated in FIG. 2 d .If the vehicle is a boat as in FIG. 1B, the identification element 110may be on a buoy or on the side of the boat 105 as illustrated in FIG. 2. As the identification element 110 may be added to an existing vehicle105 and the application and secure element 125 may reside on a portablecomputing device 130, the payment system may be added to virtually anyvehicle 105. For example, a vehicle 105 with no computing devices thatis purely mechanical such as a classic car 105 may now be able to befitted with tires with identification elements 110 and along with asecure element 125, the classic car 105 may be able to make paymentslike a modern car.

In some embodiments, the identification element 110 may communicate withother identification elements 110 to form a network of identificationelements 110 such as illustrated in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b . FIG. 3 a may bean illustration of a vehicle 105 with identification elements 110 beingpart of the light bulbs 385 in the vehicle 105 and communicating with aportable computing device 130 and FIG. 3 b may be an illustration of avehicle 105 with identification elements 110 being part of the tires inthe vehicle 105 and communicating with a portable computing device 130.By having the identification element 110 communicate with each other,additional security may be achieved as all four tires or a given numberof light bulbs 385 (or a combination of tires and light bulbs 385) maybe needed for the application 120 to be confident that the vehicle 105is authorized to make purchases. For example, if a thief steals one tirewith an identification element 110, that one tire may not be sufficientto enable a purchase as all four tires may be needed to complete anetwork registration and have a purchase from the vehicle 105 beauthorized.

When the various identification elements 110 are added to a vehicle, aninitialization procedure may occur where the identification elements 110may register with the application 120. Once the identifications elements110 are registered with the application, the application may ensure allidentification elements are present before beginning a transaction. Inthis arrangement, the need to have one or more of the sub-nodes registerwith the lead node may ensure a single identification element 110 is notstolen and used to make a transaction.

In one embodiment, one identification element 110 may be a lead node andthe other identification elements 110 may be sub-nodes. The sub-nodesmay register with the lead node and if all the sub-nodes register, thelead node may communicate an approval signal to the application and thesecure element that the network is complete and operating as expected.At this point, the application 120 may be confident that the vehicle hasall the identification elements 110 and the transaction may proceed. Ifall sub-nodes do not register, the application 120 may provide a warningto the user that one or more of the identification elements 110 ismissing or is operating improperly such that the user may address theproblem and/or proceed with the transaction. In other embodiments, theapplication may simple indicate an error and stop the process.

In other embodiments, the identification elements 110 may register withthe application itself. The application may operate on a portablecomputing device 130 which may communicate with the identificationelements 110. The application may track if all the expectedidentification elements 110 are present and functioning.

In some embodiments, the data of the identification elements 110 may bestored locally in the lead node or in the portable computing device 130.In other embodiments, the data on the identification elements 110 may bestored remotely. If the data is stored remotely, identification elements110 which are registered to a first user and then appear to a seconduser may be marked as fraudulent, such as when a tire is stolen andplaced on an additional car. In such situations, communications may bemade to the first party that a registered identification element 110 hasbeen located elsewhere.

The data on the identification elements may be a serial number or code.The serial number may follow a predetermined format. The data may beshared with the central authority and the central authority may verifythe data as being valid. For example, when the identification element110 is in a tire, the tire may have a tire identification number (TIN).The TINs may be in a range and if a TIN is reported to the centralauthority and is outside the acceptable range, a transaction may bemarked as possibly being fraudulent. Similarly, the data may include aTIN and additional data such as the tire manufacturer and tiremanufacture date. The additional details also may be used to furtherverify the TIN and that the purchase is authorized. For example, TireManufacture A may have a range of TINs and if the reported tiremanufacture and TIN do not agree, the transaction may be noted aspossibly being fraudulent.

The system may also include an identification sensor 115. Theidentification sensor 115 may also take on a variety of forms in orderto complement the identification element 110. For example, in theembodiment where the identification element 110 is a OR code or element,the identification sensor 115 may be a OR reader that is capable ofreading OR codes on a moving vehicle 105 from a distance. For example, acamera with sufficient power to zoom in on a OR code and the appropriatedecoding software may be the identification sensor 115.

In other embodiments, the identification sensor 115 may provide a powerfield which may energize the identification element 110 to provide anidentification signal. For example, the identification sensor may be anRFID and the identification sensor 115 may provide a power field toenergize the RF id to provide a response signal.

The identification sensor 115 may also have wireless communicationcapabilities to communicate with an identification element 110 that iscapable of communicating wireless. As will be further explained, theidentification element 110 may have a power source and may be capable ofproviding a wireless signal periodically or in response to a pollingsignal from a wireless identification sensor 115. Common wirelessmanners of communication including Wi-Fi, BLE, Bluetooth and any otherappropriate wireless communication methodology may be appropriate.

In addition, the identification sensor 115 may have a plurality ofcapabilities. For example, a high powered camera may be used to pick upOR elements or bar elements or even serial numbers. In addition, theidentification sensor 115 may provide power to energize RFID. Finally,the identification sensor 115 may receive wireless signals from theidentification element 110.

As the identification sensor 115 may be meant to be added to a vehicle,if may be embodied in a variety of replaceable parts on a vehicle. Forexample, the identification sensor may be embedded in a tire in whichcase a power source, such as a battery or a connection to the vehicle'selectrical system may be needed. Another example may be windshieldwipers which are easily replaceable but may need a power source. Anotherembodiment may be in a vehicle light bulb which may already have powersource and may be easily replaceable. Other parts of the vehicle mayalso be logical candidates such as bumper covers, wheels, car speakers,etc. And in some embodiments, the identification sensor 115 may be astand-alone unit which may be mounted using adhesive or screws to thevehicle 105.

The system may also have a secure element 125. The secure element 125may be a computing element that takes in data and responds with anelectronic dynamic token that represents data and has a limitedlifespan. In some embodiments, the secure element 125 may include aprocessor, an input output circuit, a power source and a memory asillustrated in FIG. 5 . The token may be understood by a limited numberof receivers of the token as an electronic key may be needed totranslate the token into understandable data. For example, in a credittransaction, a token may be understood by a card issuer in order to havethe proper accounts debited/credited, but others that are part of thetransaction may not be able to understand the token.

The secure element 125 may store identification element 110 data.Additional data may also be stored in a memory such as a unique id forthe secure element 125, a leader identification element, details on theregistered identification elements, payment module endpoint data andrelated mobile device endpoint data. In some embodiments, the secureelement 125 may have additional processing power and may determinewhether all the identification elements 110 are registeredidentification elements 110 with the secure element 125.

The secure element 125 may be part of the vehicle 105 when it is built.In other embodiments, the secure element 125 may be added to a vehicle105 as an add-on, similar to a new radio. In yet other embodiments, thesecure element 125 may be in a portable computing device 130 such as asmart phone such that the system may work with virtually any vehicle 105without regard to the age of the vehicle 105.

An application may 120 assist in the transaction system 100. Theapplication 120 may have a user interface and may take on a variety oftasks in the payment system. For example, it communicate data to thesecure element 125. It also may ensure communications proceed asexpected in the system 100. It also may encrypt the data in the system.

The user interface may provide feedback to a user on the progressthrough the payment system 100 and whether a purchase was successful orthe reasons, if any, a transaction was denied. The user interface mayalso the user to set up the application or to add additional elements tothe system as will be explained. In addition, the user interface may bedesigned to reduce errors in inputting the identification codes andpayment devices and to make the entire process easy for a user.

The application 120 may also communicate with a central authority 140.The central authority 140 may be a card issuer, a transaction processoror other entity in a transaction system that has a role inauthenticating or verifying a purchase. The application 120 may be incommunication with the secure element 125 to receive data in a tokenizedformat. In another embodiment, the application 120 may include anencryption algorithm and may encrypt data to be communicated with thecentral authority 140.

Referring to FIG. 4 a , the system 100 may begin using a registrationuser interface in the application 120. The application 120 may beinstalled on a vehicle 105 or on a computing device 130 with secureelement 125. The computing device 130 may be integrated into the vehicle105 or may be a separate computing device such as a smart phone 130.

Using the application 120, a user interface may be present to create apurchase account. A wizard or step by step guide may be used to guide auser through the creation. In one embodiment, a user may add a paymentdevice such as a credit card to be used as part of the purchase account.In other embodiments, the payment device may be an electronic paymentdevice such as a Visa Checkout or similar online payment systems. In yetanother embodiment, an account representing value may be linked to theapplication such as a checking account, a savings account or aninvestment account.

Once the payment account is added, at block 405 the account creationrequest may be communicated to the central authority 140. At the centralauthority 140, the account creation request may be reviewed forapproval. In some embodiment, the payment device may be tested to ensureit has value, is authorized and is set up for future transactions.

The advance identification element 110, identification sensor 115,portable computing device 130 and authority computers 140 may bespecifically designed. As an example, the identification sensor 115 maybe designed to use low power such that it may operate off a battery fora longer period of time. Similarly, the identification sensor 115 maynot require extensive computing power. In contrast, the computingdevices in the central authority 140 may require a high number oftransactions and may be required to perform a large number of computingtasks in a short period of time. Thus, the computers/servers at thecentral authority 140 may have greater processing power as powerconsumption may be less of a concern.

At block 410, in response to the create account request being approvedby the central authority 140, identification elements 110 may becommunicated to application 120. As mentioned, the identificationelements 110 may act as an additional layer of security for atransaction such that a transaction may not occur without theidentification elements 110 being sensed by the identification sensors115 and communicated to the central authority 140. The identificationelements 110 may be added by manual typing, by captured by an imageprocessing device such as a camera or wireless receiver on the computingdevice 130, or may be received from an identification sensor 115. Inanother aspect, the identification elements 110 may be received in asecond channel such as an email or sms message, a social media message,or from an additional web site related to a merchant.

At block 415, in some embodiments, the identification elements 110 maybe stored in a secure element 125 on the computing device 130 in thevehicle 105. In other embodiments, the identification elements 110 arecommunicated to and stored in the central authority 140.

At block 420, the identification elements 110 may be communicated to thecentral authority 140. In some embodiments, the identification elements110 may be encrypted before being communicated to the central authority140. The encryption may be any known encryption technology but the keysmay be vehicle specific, Once at the central authority 140, theidentification elements 110 may be stored in a memory and associatedwith the payment account created in block 405.

At block 425, a response may be received that the identificationelements 110 have been approved by the central authority 140. Theidentification elements 110 may be reviewed by the central authority140, For example, the identification elements 110 may be compared toknown identification elements 110 to determine if the identificationelement 110 have been stolen or are being reused without permission.Similarly, identification element manufacturers may be contacted toensure the identification elements 110 are valid.

Logically, identification element 110 may need to be updated from timeto time, FIG. 4 b may illustrate a sample method for updatingidentification elements 110. At block 455, the application 120 which isin communication with a secure element 125 may be opened. Theapplication may 120 include a wizard or step by step process to amendthe identification elements 110. At block 460, a request to remove anidentification element 110 (flat tire) may be received by theapplication 120. In some embodiments, the application 120 may sense thatan identification element 110 has changed (new tire) and may remind auser to amended the identification elements 110 in the system 100. Inother embodiments, the user may initiate the process.

At block 465, in response to the removal request being approved, theidentification element 110 may be removed from a list of identificationelements 110 in the application 120. The identification element 110 mayremain in the memory but may be removed from the list of activeidentification elements 110. In other embodiments, the identificationelement 110 may be completely removed from the system 100.

At block 470, the removed identification element 110 may be communicatedto a central authority 140. The communication may be encrypted and insome embodiments, the identification element 110 may be in a token. Atblock 475, a request may be received to add a new identification element110 to the application 120. For example, if a tire with anidentification element 110 may be removed from a vehicle 105 and a newtire may be added. As the new tire may have a new identification element110, the old identification element 110 may be removed and the newidentification element 110 would be added. At block 480, in response tothe new identification element 110 being approved, the newidentification element 110 may be added to the list of identificationelements 110 for a secure element 125 and at block 485, the newidentification element 110 may be communicated to the central authority140.

The communication between the central authority 140 and the application120 may follow a pre-defined format and may utilize an applicationprogramming interface that follows a known format to easy communicationbetween the application 120 and the central authority 140. Further, asthe application uses a known API, additional applications may be writtento interface with the application 120.

FIG. 5 is a high-level block diagram of an example computing environment1000 for the system 100 and method 300 for purchasing and returningitems in a checkout-free store, as described herein. The computingdevice 1001 may include a server (e.g., the payment processing server114, a mobile computing device (e.g., user computing device 106), acellular phone, a tablet computer, a Wi-Fi-enabled device or otherpersonal computing device capable of wireless or wired communication), athin client, or other known type of computing device. As will berecognized by one skilled in the art, in light of the disclosure andteachings herein, other types of computing devices can be used that havedifferent architectures. Processor systems similar or identical to theexample systems and methods described herein may be used to implementand execute the example systems of FIG. 1 and methods of FIGS. 4A and4B. Although the example system 1000 is described below as including aplurality of peripherals, interfaces, chips, memories, etc., one or moreof those elements may be omitted from other example processor systemsused to implement and execute the example systems and methods. Also,other components may be added.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the computing device 1001 includes a processor 1002that is coupled to an interconnection bus. The processor 1002 includes aregister set or register space 1004, which is depicted in FIG. 5 asbeing entirely on-chip, but which could alternatively be locatedentirely or partially off-chip and directly coupled to the processor1002 via dedicated electrical connections and/or via the interconnectionbus. The processor 1002 may be any suitable processor, processing unitor microprocessor. Although not shown in FIG. 10 , the computing device1001 may be a multi-processor device and, thus, may include one or moreadditional processors that are identical or similar to the processor1002 and that are communicatively coupled to the interconnection bus.

The processor 1002 of FIG. 5 is coupled to a chipset 1006, whichincludes a memory controller 1008 and a peripheral input/output (I/O)controller 1010. As is well known, a chipset typically provides I/O andmemory management functions as well as a plurality of general purposeand/or special purpose registers, timers, etc. that are accessible orused by one or more processors coupled to the chipset 1006. The memorycontroller 1008 performs functions that enable the processor 1002 (orprocessors if there are multiple processors) to access a system memory1012 and a mass storage memory 1014, that may include either or both ofan in-memory cache (e.g., a cache within the memory 1012) or an on-diskcache (e.g., a cache within the mass storage memory 1014).

The system memory 1012 may include any desired type of volatile and/ornon-volatile memory such as, for example, static random access memory(SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), flash memory, read-onlymemory (ROM), etc. The mass storage memory 1014 may include any desiredtype of mass storage device. For example, the computing device 1001 maybe used to implement a module 1016 (e.g., the various modules as hereindescribed). The mass storage memory 1014 may include a hard disk drive,an optical drive, a tape storage device, a solid-state memory (e.g., aflash memory, a RAM memory, etc.), a magnetic memory (e.g., a harddrive), or any other memory suitable for mass storage. As used herein,the terms module, block, function, operation, procedure, routine, step,and method refer to tangible computer program logic or tangible computerexecutable instructions that provide the specified functionality to thecomputing device 1001, the system 100, and method 300. Thus, a module,block, function, operation, procedure, routine, step, and method can beimplemented in hardware, firmware, and/or software. In one embodiment,program modules and routines are stored in mass storage memory 1014,loaded into system memory 1012, and executed by a processor 1002 or canbe provided from computer program products that are stored in tangiblecomputer-readable storage mediums (e.g. RAM, hard disk, optical/magneticmedia, etc.).

The peripheral I/O controller 1010 performs functions that enable theprocessor 1002 to communicate with a peripheral input/output (I/O)device 1024, a network interface 1026, a local network transceiver 1028.(via the network interface 1026) via a peripheral I/O bus. The I/Odevice 1024 may be any desired type of I/O device such as, for example,a keyboard, a display (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathoderay tube (CRT) display, etc.), a navigation device (e.g., a mouse, atrackball, a capacitive touch pad, a joystick, etc.), etc. The I/Odevice 1024 may be used with the module 1016, etc., to receive data fromthe transceiver 1028, send the data to the components of the system 100,and perform any operations related to the methods as described herein.

The local network transceiver 1028 may include support for a Wi-Finetwork, Bluetooth, Infrared, cellular, or other wireless datatransmission protocols. In other embodiments, one element maysimultaneously support each of the various wireless protocols employedby the computing device 1001. For example, a software-defined radio maybe able to support multiple protocols via downloadable instructions. Inoperation, the computing device 1001 may be able to periodically pollfor visible wireless network transmitters (both cellular and localnetwork) on a periodic basis. Such polling may be possible even whilenormal wireless traffic is being supported on the computing device 1001.The network interface 1026 may be, for example, an Ethernet device, anasynchronous transfer mode (ATM) device, an 802.11 wireless interfacedevice, a DSL modem, a cable modern, a cellular modem, etc., thatenables the system 100 to communicate with another computer systemhaving at least the elements described in relation to the system 100.

While the memory controller 1008 and the I/O controller 1010 aredepicted in FIG. 10 as separate functional blocks within the chipset1006, the functions performed by these blocks may be integrated within asingle integrated circuit or may be implemented using two or moreseparate integrated circuits. The computing environment 1000 may alsoimplement the module 1016 on a remote computing device 1030. The remotecomputing device 1030 may communicate with the computing device 1001over an Ethernet link 1032. In some embodiments, the module 1016 may beretrieved by the computing device 1001 from a cloud computing server1034 via the Internet 1036. When using the cloud computing server 1034,the retrieved module 1016 may be programmatically linked with thecomputing device 1001. The module 1016 may be a collection of varioussoftware platforms including artificial intelligence software anddocument creation software or may also be a Java® applet executingwithin a Java® Virtual Machine (JVM) environment resident in thecomputing device 1001 or the remote computing device 1030. The module1016 may also be a “plug-in” adapted to execute in a web-browser locatedon the computing devices 1001 and 1030. In some embodiments, the module1016 may communicate with back end components 1038 via the Internet1036.

The system 1000 may include but is not limited to any combination of aLAN, a MAN, a WAN, a mobile, a wired or wireless network, a privatenetwork, or a virtual private network. Moreover, while only one remotecomputing device 1030 is illustrated in FIG. 10 to simplify and clarifythe description, it is understood that any number of chant computers aresupported and can be in communication within the system 1000.

Additionally, certain embodiments are described herein as includinglogic or a number of components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules mayconstitute either software modules (e.g., element or instructionsembodied on a machine-readable medium or in a transmission signal,wherein the element is executed by a processor) or hardware modules. Ahardware module is tangible unit capable of performing certainoperations and may be configured or arranged in a certain manner. Inexample embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone,client or server computer system) or one or more hardware modules of acomputer system (e.g., a processor or a group of processors) may beconfigured by software (e.g., an application or application portion) asa hardware module that operates to perform certain operations asdescribed herein.

In various embodiments, a hardware module may be implementedmechanically or electronically. For example, a hardware module maycomprise dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured(e.g., as a special-purpose processor, such as a field programmable gatearray (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) toperform certain operations. A hardware module may also compriseprogrammable logic or circuitry (e.g., as encompassed within ageneral-purpose processor or other programmable processor) that istemporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. Itwill be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware modulemechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or intemporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may bedriven by cost and time considerations.

Accordingly, the term “hardware module” should be understood toencompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physicallyconstructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarilyconfigured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or toperform certain operations described herein. As used herein,“hardware-implemented module” refers to a hardware module. Consideringembodiments in which hardware modules are temporarily configured (e.g.,programmed), each of the hardware modules need not be configured orinstantiated at any one instance in time. For example, where thehardware modules comprise a general-purpose processor configured usingsoftware, the general-purpose processor may be configured as respectivedifferent hardware modules at different times. Software may accordinglyconfigure a processor, for example, to constitute a particular hardwaremodule at one instance of time and to constitute a different hardwaremodule at a different instance of time.

Hardware modules can provide information to, and receive informationfrom, other hardware modules. Accordingly, the described hardwaremodules may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multipleof such hardware modules exist contemporaneously, communications may beachieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuitsand buses) that connect the hardware modules. In embodiments in whichmultiple hardware modules are configured or instantiated at differenttimes, communications between such hardware modules may be achieved, forexample, through the storage and retrieval of information in memorystructures to which the multiple hardware modules have access. Forexample, one hardware module may perform an operation and store theoutput of that operation in a memory device to which it iscommunicatively coupled. A further hardware module may then, at a latertime, access the memory device to retrieve and process the storedoutput. Hardware modules may also initiate communications with input oroutput devices, and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection ofinformation).

The various operations of example methods described herein may beperformed, at least partially, by one or more processors that aretemporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured toperform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanentlyconfigured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented modulesthat operate to perform one or more operations or functions. The modulesreferred to herein may, in some example embodiments, compriseprocessor-implemented modules.

Similarly, the methods or routines described herein may be at leastpartially processor-implemented. For example, at least some of theoperations of a method may be performed by one or processors orprocessor-implemented hardware modules. The performance of certain ofthe operations may be distributed among the one or more processors, notonly residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number ofmachines. In some example embodiments, the processor or processors maybe located in a single location (e.g., within a home environment, anoffice environment or as a server farm), while in other embodiments theprocessors may be distributed across a number of locations.

The one or more processors may also operate to support performance ofthe relevant operations in a “cloud computing” environment or as a“software as a service” (SaaS). For example, at least some of theoperations may be performed by a group of computers (as examples ofmachines including processors), these operations being accessible via anetwork (e.g., the Internet) and via one or more appropriate interfaces(e.g., application program interfaces (APIs).)

The performance of certain of the operations may be distributed amongthe one or more processors, not only residing within a single machine,but deployed across a number of machines. In some example embodiments,the one or more processors or processor-implemented modules may belocated in a single geographic location (e.g., within a homeenvironment, an office environment, or a server farm). In other exampleembodiments, the one or more processors or processor-implemented modulesmay be distributed across a number of geographic locations.

Some portions of this specification are presented in terms of algorithmsor symbolic representations of operations on data stored as bits orbinary digital signals within a machine memory (e.g., a computermemory). These algorithms or symbolic representations are examples oftechniques used by those of ordinary skill in the data processing artsto convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. Asused herein, an “algorithm” is a self-consistent sequence of operationsor similar processing leading to a desired result. In this context,algorithms and operations involve physical manipulation of physicalquantities. Typically, but not necessarily, such quantities may take theform of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable of beingstored, accessed, transferred, combined, compared, or otherwisemanipulated by a machine. It is convenient at times, principally forreasons of common usage, to refer to such signals using words such as“data,” “content,” “bits,” “values,” “elements,” “symbols,”“characters,” “terms,” “numbers,” “numerals,” or the like. These words,however, are merely convenient labels and are to be associated withappropriate physical quantities.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, discussions herein using wordssuch as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,”“presenting,” “displaying,” or the like may refer to actions orprocesses of a machine (e.g., a computer) that manipulates or transformsdata represented as physical (e.g., electronic, magnetic, or optical)quantities within one or more memories (e.g., volatile memory,non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof), registers, or othermachine components that receive, store, transmit, or displayinformation.

As used herein any reference to “some embodiments” or “an embodiment” or“teaching” means that a particular element, feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in someembodiments” or “teachings” in various places in the specification arenot necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

Some embodiments may be described using the expression “coupled” and“connected” along with their derivatives. For example, some embodimentsmay be described using the term “coupled” to indicate that two or moreelements are in direct physical or electrical contact. The term“coupled,” however, may also mean that two or more elements are not indirect contact with each other, but yet still co-operate or interactwith each other. The embodiments are not limited in this context.

Further, the figures depict preferred embodiments for purposes ofillustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize fromthe following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structuresand methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing fromthe principles described herein

Upon reading this disclosure, those of skill in the art will appreciatestill additional alternative structural and functional designs for thesystems and methods described herein through the disclosed principlesherein. Thus, while particular embodiments and applications have beenillustrated and described, it is to be understood that the disclosedembodiments are not limited to the precise construction and componentsdisclosed herein. Various modifications, changes and variations, whichwill be apparent to those skilled in the art, may be made in thearrangement, operation and details of the systems and methods disclosedherein without departing from the spirit and scope defined in anyappended claims.

1. A registration amendment system for identification elements in a payment system, the registration amendment system comprising: starting an application which is in communication with a secure element; receiving a request to remove an identification element; in response to the removal request being approved, removing the identification element from a list of identification elements in the application; communicating the removed identification element to a central authority; receiving a request to add a new identification element to the application; in response to the new identification element being approved, adding the new identification element to the list of identification elements; and communicating the new identification element to the central authority.
 2. The registration amendment system of claim 1 further comprising determining if the new identification element is approved comprising contacting an agent responsible for the identification elements and determining if the identification element is approved.
 3. An identification element registration system comprising: installing an application on a computing device with a secure element; creating a purchase account using the application; communicating a create account request to a central authority; in response to the create account request being approved: adding identification elements to the application, storing the identification elements in a secure element, and communicating the identification elements to a central authority; and receiving a response that the identification elements have been approved by the central authority.
 4. The identification element registration system of claim 3, wherein the identification elements are encrypted.
 5. The identification element registration system of claim 4, wherein the identification elements are in communication with a vehicle.
 6. The identification element registration system of claim 3, wherein the secure element stores in a memory: a unique ID; a leader identification element; details on the registered identification elements; payment module endpoint data; and related mobile device endpoint data.
 7. The identification element registration system of claim 3, wherein the identification elements are in communication with a tire.
 8. The identification element registration system of claim 3, wherein the identification elements each further comprise: a processor; an input/output circuit; a power source; and a memory.
 9. The identification element registration system of claim 3, wherein the identification elements include a lead identification element and additional identification elements.
 10. The identification element registration system of claim 9, wherein the additional identification elements register with the lead identification element.
 11. The identification element registration system of claim 10, wherein the lead identification element registers with the secure element.
 12. The identification element registration system of claim 10, wherein the lead identification element determines whether the additional identification elements are expected additional identification elements.
 13. The registration amendment system of claim 1, wherein the new identification element is encrypted.
 14. The registration amendment system of claim 1, wherein the new identification element is in communication with a vehicle.
 15. The registration amendment system of claim 1, wherein the secure element stores in a memory: a unique ID; a leader identification element; details on the registered identification elements; payment module endpoint data; and related mobile device endpoint data.
 16. The registration amendment system of claim 1, wherein the new identification element is in communication with a tire.
 17. The registration amendment system of claim 1, wherein the new identification element further comprises: a processor; an input/output circuit; a power source; and a memory.
 18. The registration amendment system of claim 1, wherein the new identification element includes a plurality of identification elements comprising a lead identification element and additional identification elements.
 19. The registration amendment system of claim 18, wherein the additional identification elements register with the lead identification element.
 20. The identification element registration system of claim 18, wherein the lead identification element registers with the secure element. 